Racing Day is Here

Now that race day is here and we had a chance to catch up with Kim our group is starting to feel more comfortable with the strange venue and teams. During the day all has gone well and every one has pitched in to help as best we can. The Label stuff has been perfect and with the exception of the time the new roll of labels that were installed upside down, I have got lots of compliments from the participating teams, so I guess they like them a lot.

At the end of the day all turned out that we were right where we were seeded we were seeded third and we placed third not too bad for the little team from the North West I think we did our area proud.  The dinner was quite tasty even though they ran out of the shrimp before I got to the table but such are things. The dogs are very tired and will sleep well tonight, Seeker was lying with his head resting on my shoes and his eyes closed so we know he is tired. Tomorrow will be another day of racing I hope the weather gets better as the rain is problematic for getting to and from the Moho.

Racing day is here and I think we are all ready for it. Ruffy and Dancer are all set to race in Singles and Pairs And all started out great then in the third race Ruffy bruised her nail and Marg decided to pull her just for safety sake I thought it was a good decision but too bad for Ruffy. In the end Marg and Ruffy did well and so did Kathy and Dancer.

After the tournament Terri May and our group had dinner and then Laura went with Terry to pick up another long time friend Kim at the airport.  By the time they got back I was sound asleep and it was quite late so I had to wait untilthe next morning to see Kim. Kim was the person that rescued Chianna. Chianna is still not sure when she sees Kim but she has now figured out that she is going home with us.

We have caught up with many old time friends over the last 24 hours and it is so nice to see them again I just wish it wasn't so long between catching up. It seems that there are friends that you see regularly and it seems like it was just yesterday ..........wait it was yesterday................. then there are those that it can be a mater of years and it still feels like yesterday those are the ones I think are true long time friends.

We left Lyman this morning and drove and we drove and we drove and did I mention we drove? Today was quite a long day and we have just settled down in Chappell at an RV park that is quite nice small but nice and it is virtually deserted  We did some more shopping for provisions and found lots of things that were too good a deal to pass up. mostly 50% off of the price at home so some of our funds are going to these things. The other advantage is that it is only 3 hours from our tournament. so we should arrive mid day and still not bee too tired.

On one of our stops at a rest stop we saw a blade for a turbine being towed to the site some where in Nebraska and what a site that was later on we were passed another one. It is very impressive when you are passed by a 200 foot piece of windmill.

We later stopped at Laramie at a rail road museum even though it was closed the trains in the yard were worth the stop.

One thing that has stood out to us this week is the number of trucks on the road I estimate better than 60% of vehicles on the high way are trucks going somewhere, not sure where but some where for sure and most going way faster than we are. We have kept the speed down and it has payed off as our gas mileage is about 150km more than the last time we went drive around.

Today started out quite a bit earlier than we wished but we had to get to the local Ford Dealer to see why the "service engine soon" came on yesterday. The dealer was about 10 min from the campground and were nice enough to look at it right away and it seems the Oxygen sensor gave a rogue code. It was reset and away we go on the road about the usual time.

We saw the Snake River canyon, badlands and even a waterfall, that was a surprise.  Reminded us a bit  of the Grand Canyon.  As we got into Utah the terrain changes to beautiful rock formations. We had lunch at a Triple D place in Roy UT,well lets just say we are not going to go looking for it again


On the road into Wyoming there are lots of  windmills and one group we saw must have had 100 or so.

Yesterday was kind of uneventfull compared to Saturday Other than a couple of stops at Walmart to get supplies it was pretty much just driving And stopping to get the blood moving.

Yesterday was kind of uneventfull compared to Saturday Other than a couple of stops at Walmart to get supplies it was pretty much just driving And stopping to get the blood moving.

We did go through the Columbia River Historic Highway and up to the view point. well worth the drive and the set of stairs.  At the bottom there is a sign saying if you are over 50 feet dont drive this road and they realy are right. Seeming that we are only 22 feet I thought it would be OK and basicly it was until a BMW didnt give us enough room and we scraped the low rock wall on a curve. You know the differance between a Porkupine and a BMW? It realy is true.

We ended staying in an RV park at LaGrand OR quite a nice spot (Hot Lake Ln) but a little under used, and thats OK makes nicer for those that were there.

We are back on the road this morning and more driving. We got to Twin Falls today and are bed down in a KOA for the night, again quite a nice spot. It is also quite hot out and lots O' Mosquito's for sure, they are so bad we had to come in after dinner to finnish off the files for the label printers but just a quick check and compile the info and we are done.

Last night we left for our tournament in Kearney NE. We left the island by the Coho ferry and ended up at the Port Angeles Walmart for the night after a long foggy crossing of the straits. We left Port Angeles about 9:00 AM heading to Salem Oregon.

After meeting up with our friend Tim just south of Portland we have the displays and had a chat so now we will be heading off to NE after spending the night in Woodburn OR.

Next trip .....U-FLY Championships, Kearney NE

Next trip is to Kearney Nebraska. The attraction to Kearney is the North American championship flyball tournament. It is the last time Chianna will be able to race at this level since she is now 13 years old and a height dog to boot, she basically has been a really tough dog all her life. Also it might be the last time I can make it to an event like this.

We will leave next Friday and head to Salem Or. to pick up my Heat Race displays for the tournament. Hopefully I can get the seeding before we leave so I can get the files assembled for the tournament.

The Rendezvous was excellent, with lots of Healeys from all over including Georgia an New Mexico to name a couple. Sunday we were able to meet many people from all over the continent. We were not the only ones with dogs either, a couple from CA had two Daxies with them but they trailered there car up several other people also had dogs with them.

There was another Florida Green over White car there also a very nice BN6, lots of red and black and combinations as well the most common car was the various shades of BGR (British Racing Green). The most common car was the BJ8 most done to the 9's. The most common thing was the love for these beauties the owners have. The star of the show for us was the fabulously restored Nash Healey out of Alberta just spotless and a thrill to see such god job. And I would be in deep trouble if I missed the 100/4's they were terrific a real testament to the appreciation these people have for there cars.

                                                        The ever ready car traveler.

Last night aboard

To day is get off the ship day. An early breakfast and a whole lot of hurry up and wait. It is almost 10:00AM and they re already an hour late getting people off so I think it will be a short day in San Juan for us. Glad we don't have any thing planned.

Last night we took in the final show and the cruise director gave us a list of the top ten questions they have had over the last fifteen years. A couple of them don't mean any thing unless you have taken a cruise, but the rest I can see people asking. So here they are,

1 Why doesn't my microwave doesn't work? (its the safe)
2 Is it fresh water or salt water in the toilet? ( who cares )
3 Does the ship have cable TV? ( there's a little guy at the back of the ship letting th cable in and out)
4 q)Do the pools have fresh or salt water in them
   a)salt water
   r)  Oh that is why there are waves in them then
5 Does the crew sleep on board?
6 I can't get into my cabin there is a Do Not Disturb sign in the lock
7 Does the sea air make clothes shrink?
8  I asked for a sea view . So why do I have a view of a parking lot? ( asked before they left port)
9  What happens if I flush the toilet when I am sitting on it. ( unless you have been there)
10 What religion are the people with the patch behind there ear (maybe they pray to the porcelain god)

Our dinner table mates

Good by Coconuts

St Croix wonderful place

Today was a day in St Croix. We did quite a bit of walking in the tourist area but didn't really buy much. We did find a great place to have coffee and enjoyed the best cup we have had in a long time at a place called "Polly's at the Beach" its mascot is a Staffy.. The rest of the day was spent beach walking to Coconuts and back to the ship.Coconuts is a beach bar where local and travelers alike hang out to enjoy the company, beer, and atmosphere.

St Maarten

Antigua was a place we went on Thursday this week. I would write some good stuff if only I had some to write but rather than do that I will say we were there then we left.

St Maarten down town

Canada 2 our boat

The real Stars and Stripes

St Maarten was a wonderful place, if any one would have said I would sail Canada II I would have said they were crazy, but I would have had to eat my hat. Today was the day we got to crew on Canada II a 12 meter America's cup sail boat against Stars and Stripes. It was a mock race but fun none the less and well Stars and Stripes won since it was the faster boat by quite a bit. These were the actual boats in the America's cup race in the mid 80's not replicas and they are kept in St Maarten for the sole purpose of taking people out to experience the thrill, and what a thrill it is.

St Maarten Sunset

The Caribbean is so clear that from 12 decks up, we could see the bottom of the sea, probably 70 feet under water.  The blue is unbelievable, just like in the posters.  Another spectacular sunset to be enjoyed before heading in for dinner. 

Royal Caribbean is very well organized for handling large numbers of dazed tourists and has not left anyone behind in port yet.  In addition to all the cooks, waiters, cabin staff, there are many other trades on board to handle set up of party venues, keep the plumbing working and fix electrical and elevator woes.  Someone even goes into each elevator (and there are at least 16) and change out carpet to keep us advised of what day it is!  You know, "It's Friday, this must be St Maarten" kind of thing. 

So with one more day on the ship, it's time to call it a day and get ready for Saturday in St Croix.

Last look at the dock St Maarten

ST Lucia

Today was our day on St Lucia. We arrived about 7:00 and were allowed to go ashore about 8:30 after turning the ship around and trust me it wasn't very easy as space was very tight.








We set out for the Soufrier volcano at about 9:30 and had a long drive with a very nice guide, except we only understood about every third word. We think she spoke a  cross of english and french but don't go by us. The roads there were narrow and windy combined with driving on the left it was a spooky experience at times.

We drove through several little towns on our way there and stopped several times to get pictures and use the facilities. One thing we had to remember was that this is a rain forest and guess what,  it does in a rain forest, yup it rains quite hard actually so the views were not the best but still I got several artsy f artsy shots of the Pitons (mountains) between the downpours.

At the volcano it was very interesting and the park guide was very informative. It is a dormant volcano but it does boil water and give off the hydrogen sulfide gasses. There are only limited places you can walk and they keep an eye on people to make sure they don't go in dangerous places.

Once finished at the volcano we headed back and stopped at a botanical garden to see tropicals and to see what spices and fruits are grown there. Some of the spices are ginger, tumeric and nutmeg as well as some cinnamon and coco, most gets shipped out for processing.

We have had dinner with the same group of people and have met a couple from Toronto, from Germany and a very delightful couple from Lavalle PQ. I am embarrassed to say that there english is light years ahead of my french but they seem to understand and I do try to greet them in french.

Today is a sail day or day at sea. Basically lay in the sun and enjoy your self and eat your self silly. The only view we got all day was the horizon and clouds.

I got the internet set up today and I will have to be very careful with my time as it is about $.58 a minute from the time you log in. I think the speed is quite slow also as it cost $3.00 to check email and it seemed like it took forever to connect to the mail server. I think the posts will be short and to the point with few pictures and I will add them when we get back to San Juan if you don't mind.

Sunday Jan 12 2012

Yesterday was our start the cruise day. We couldn't board until 2:00 so we  did some more Old San Juan stuff then lay by the pool for a couple of hours. About 3:00 we started to make our way to the ship and discovered that the taxi's have picked up on what the airlines started a couple of years ago,, yup you guessed it, they are now charging extra for each bag you have, and like the airlines you don't have a choice.

At the ship  check in was a breeze and it only took about 20 min the worst was the line to drop off the bags. They really have it down to a science and have it all done so that even goof balls like me don't have to worry and can't screw up. The ship is very large and well thought out with lots of space for our demographic. 

 A welcome aboard comedy show, our own self guided our of the ship and the first day is about over.  What a nice gym is provided.  At least three pools and six hot tubs, a climbing wall and track are all available for  use as well. We said goodby to San Juan and started our journey about 8:30 at night. Leaving San Juan harbour gave us quite the view og the town and el Morrow, unfortunately because it was so dark none of my pictures turned out well enough to use.

Saturday

Bacardi fruit bat trade mark

Welcome Center

Laura and I had been looking forward to visiting the Arecibo Observatory to day but it wasn't to be. The internet gremlins foiled the attempt and made it too bad for us as it was the only day we could go. The good thing is now we have  reason to return to this wonderful country and city.

Instead we went to the Bacardi distillery and had a tour of the historic recreations of the original distillery in Santiago Cuba then a tour of the gift store and  couple of mixed drinks at the bar. I entertained getting a bottle of there private reserve  with its own serial number and certificate of authenticity but at almost $90 I gave it a pass. All was interesting but all you saw was the recreation and the gift shop.
 

We later went for a walk in to the old town and poked around  some local shops, but we really didn't really see any thing of interest. The rest of the afternoon was at the pool enjoying the sun and hot tub.

About 6:00 we asked the concierge for a good local place to eat. His suggestion was the Punta de Vista just a block down the street.in front of dock 4.  what a good choice!!  Not only was the food great, little single serving mofungo's with shrimp and an argentinian skirt steak wrap, but we were at happy hour so the Heinekin's were only $1 each.  Located at a T intersection, the presence of a stop sign, prominently displayed with a street light above it, meant nothing.  Apparently, as we were told by the restaurant's owner, Mike, everyone has the right of way.  Coming up to the T, no one except tourists and the faint of heart would stop, many times two lanes would merge off the stem of the T onto the straight thru street turning left with little or no use of turn signals.  Typically anyone making a u-turn back up the  stem of the T would stop at the sign , turn on their left turn signal and u-turn.  All of this on an "Old" San Juan street where only a smart car can actually turn, all others requiring some reversing, often in concert with the vehicles tailgating into the u-turn.  We learned  the u-turn was necessary as the police station was located at the last intersection and left turns there were prohibited!  Even on the main straight through of the T, u-turns were frequent.  As we were sitting across the road from the cruise ship dock, there were any number of cruisers who would walk diagonally across the intersection without any fear, and luckily no accidents.  It was like watching an improv of ballet being performed in buses, taxi's vans, and all types of cars.  No doubt the phrase "everyone has the right of way", will become part of our memory.